North American Windpower: Renewable Energy Sources Bill Introduced In Michigan

by NAW Staff on Friday 21 September 2007

Michigan Assemblywoman Kathleen Law (D-23rd District) has introduced House Bill (HB) 5218 (2007), the Michigan Renewable Energy Sources Act - the first comprehensive renewable energy feed-in law submitted to an American state legislature.

The proposal features renewable tariffs designed to encourage homeowners, farmers and businesses to sell their renewable energy for a profit by allowing them to feed their electricity to the grid. In advanced renewable tariffs, the price paid per kWh of electricity differs by technology. According to the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association, the tariffs proposed in HB 5218 (2007) are equivalent to those in Germany and the highest in North America.

According to the bill's text, the minimum rate for wind-generated electricity is set at the following: for years one through five, $0.105 per kWh; for years six through 20, $0.105 per kWh for projects with an average specific yield less than 700 kWh per square meter per year; for years 6 through 20, $0.08 per kWh for projects with an average specific yield greater than 1,100 kWh per square meter per year. For years 6 through 20, projects with an average specific yield greater than 700 kWh per square meter per year but less than 1,100 kWh per square meter per year shall be paid a rate that is a linear extrapolation between the rate at 700 kWh per square meter per year to 1,100 kWh per square meter per year, the bill states.

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